This invention concerns a programmable device for the diffusion of active substances, such as odour-bearing products, intended among other things, to produce olfactory sensations or messages for educational, practical or play-related purposes.
In a prior embodiment, there is industrial or personal equipment for the diffusion of odour-bearing products (perfumes, deodorants) or sanitary products (insecticides, bactericides). They are capable of diffusing these products by a spray, either at regular intervals or in response to a detected action, such as the opening of a door or the detection of presence.
Accordingly, through the request for European patent EP-A-0714 709, there is a known device for the projection of drops on request. This document describes a device which includes one or several sets of nozzles connected to one or several tanks containing the product to be diffused. An electronic control device is capable of diffusing, as chosen, one or several products, independently or in sequence. The diffusion can be triggered by a proximity detector or by a programmable timer system.
Most of the devices that now exist using means of nebulisation by an air jet bearing a single odour, without programming, or at least, with very basic emission cycles, as described in the document EP-A-0714 709. The devices are unsuitable for the physiology of the users, in particular because they do not take into consideration the saturation of the olfactory nerve endings and the ambient habituation effect. Other known devices obtain odour diffusion by the control of an air flow over a surface containing the olfactory principle to be evaporated. These devices have the same drawbacks as the former.
In addition, these devices are particularly restricted in terms of multiple and combinational use of odours
Accordingly, the purpose of the invention is a programmable odour distribution device having carefully designed operating characteristics to allow for the physiology of the user.
In particular, devices according to the invention will be capable of generating odour peaks by taking into consideration the physiological characteristics of the users.
For this purpose, the invention proposes a programmable device for the diffusion of odour-bearing substances comprising a number n of odour diffusion means where n is equal to or greater than 1, each of which can be controlled independently to emit, from appropriate reserves, odours or mixtures of odours by the combination p of n sources. According to the invention, the device also includes programmable control means capable of establishing odour peak emission cycles having determined emission times and determine intervals between two successive emissions which successive emission cycles of odour peaks take into consideration the saturation and desaturation times of the user olfactory systems.
It should be understood that this saturation effect is caused by a neuro-sensory inhibition of signals emanating from olfactory capture cells, beyond a determined period of exposure to the same odour. The purpose of the invention is therefore to emit odour peaks according to the transmission times and the intervals between two successive emissions taking into consideration the physiological characteristics of the user olfactory systems, that is, the saturation effect of these olfactory systems. Indeed, after some exposure to the same odour, signals from the olfactory capture cells are no longer acknowledged by the brain so that the odour is no longer perceived by the user. A change in the user odour-bearing environment, obtained by the emission of another odour peak, will permit further perception of the odour by the user, through to the effect of saturation of the olfactory system.
The purpose of the invention involves renewing cyclically the olfactory perception of the users by taking their neuro-sensory characteristics into consideration. The diffusion of odour-bearing substances as odour peaks leads to decreasing the quantity of odour-bearing substances diffused, compared to permanent diffusion. Accordingly, diffusion as odour peaks avoids phenomena of olfactory habituation, causing for instance, headaches or a nauseous feeling, occurring during the permanent emission of odour bearing substances.
For information, odour peaks have typical emission times of between five seconds and two minutes, and intervals between typical emissions of two minutes to one hour and, preferably, between two and 15 minutes.
Preferably, the odour peaks have typical emission times of 15 seconds to one minute and, preferably,of around 30 seconds and intervals between typical emissions of between two minutes and five minutes.
Devices like this can generate odour peaks for people spread out in such places as an office, a meeting room, a lounge, a bedroom etc.
Depending on the various optional engineering methods, this invention is capable of incorporating one or several of the following aspects, depending on the choices of use and the applications envisaged:
a number n of active principle diffusion means equal to or greater than 2.
vaporisation means consisting of diffusion means suitable for the emission of drops sized in such a way as to produce a dry fog effect, with the elementary diameter of a drop of being in the region of 0.5 to 3 microns;
vaporisation means consisting of surface evaporation means such as a flow of air;
active means of attenuating or eliminating noise in the form of noise abatement means;
passive means of noise attenuation;
means of diffusing drops operating by Venturi effect;
means of diffusing drops including an electro-mechanical activating device, for instance, a piezo-electric actuator, arranged so as to transmit vibrations toward a load of liquid and eject droplets from this load of liquid;
means of diffusing drops which include means of producing a jet of liquid to be diffused and means of generating acoustic surface waves on the jet of liquid so as to detach droplets from this jet;
programmable control means which include signal input means intended to be connected to at least one physiological parameter sensor designed to control the activation and/or evolution of a program for the diffusion of active parameters depending on one or several detected physiological parameters; a physiological parameter sensor in the form of a device detecting the noise caused by snoring, with the device programmed to control the means of diffusion and trigger the emission of odour bearing product(s) in order to cause the snoring to stop;
a physiological parameter sensor consisting of a drowsiness detector with the device programmed to control the means of diffusion and trigger the emission of odour bearing product(s) depending on the detected physiological state;
a detector of the electrical characteristic of the user organism, for instance electrical activity or resistivity detected by electrodes;
programmable control means including means of counting time so as to control the activation and/or evolution of an odour diffusion programme or of other active principles according to one or several time-related parameters;
the programmable control means can be programmed to begin, and a set time, the diffusion cycle apt to awaken the subject;
the programmable control means can be programmed to begin, at a programmed time or in response to an input at one of the interfaces, a diffusion cycle apt to accompany the act of falling asleep;
the programmable control means include audio output means capable of managing the emission of sounds to accompany a diffusion programme;
one at the start the various tanks of the diffusion means contains an odour-bearing liquid specific to this tank, for instance, an essential oil;
a preparation used as a means of soliciting an awakened state from the comatose state of a patient with at least one of the tanks containing an odour bearing liquid chosen to emit an odour redolent of the past or surroundings or tastes of the patient;
at least one of the liquids contains a pheromone related to the filiation of the patient;
The odour peak generating cycles are calculated to take into consideration the saturation and de-saturation time of the olfactory nervous system while adding a waiting period to give the user time to create his desire for the odour peak and thus reinforce his pleasure when it arrives;
the device also includes automatic means of recognising the product contained in a tank by a predetermined coding system with respect to the recipient containing the liquid, and adjusting the diffusion programme accordingly;
the electric power supply can be obtained by connecting the system to the electric circuit of a real call, for instance the cigarette lighter in the vehicle;
the device is a portable system allowing personal and individual use;
the device includes audio means associated with the odour diffusion systems capable of sending out a global and consistent odour-sound message related to nature.
For operation to be beneficial in some applications, the means of diffusing the drops will preferably be of the more or less silent type.
The device may incorporate active means of attenuating or eliminating noise consisting of antinoise means and/or passive noise attenuation means.
The means of forming the drops can use a variety of techniques, for instance:
means working by a Venturi effect which means may include at least one liquid outlet to having a first end designed to be immersed in the tank of liquid to be diffused and a second end designed to be exposed to a flow of air, which second end has a smaller section. The flow of air comes from a tube converging at one end to ensure the high speed outlet of air near the mouth of the liquid outlet tube which liquid outlet tube and air outlet tube could advantageously have a diameter of between 0.05 and 2 mm, and preferably, between 0.2 and 1 mm;
means operating by an electromechanical actuator, for instance, a piezoelectric actuator arranged to transmit vibration toward a load of liquid and eject the droplets from this load of liquid. In this case, the load of liquid may be contained in a cavity which has on its plane parallel faces, respectively, ejection orifices and the actuator. In this mode, the actuator is preferably supplied by excitation voltage at high frequency, generating acoustic vibration beyond the audible spectrum, or otherwise
means operating on the basis of acoustic surface waves comprising means of producing the jet of liquid to be diffused and means of generating acoustic surface waves on the jet of liquid so as to detach droplets from the jet.
In an advantageous embodiment, the means of programming the diffusion of drops will include means of input for the signal to be connected at least one physiological parameter sensor capable of controlling the activation and/or evolution of a drop diffusion program depending on one or several detected physiological parameters.
The means of diffusion may be of the semi-passive type, i.e. based on the evaporation of the liquid containing the odour-bearing active principle by the programmed passage of a flow of air. Throughout this text, the term xe2x80x9codour-bearingxe2x80x9d will be understood to cover the action of generating awareness of the sense of smell related to the olfactory nerve endings and the result of soliciting the vomeronasal organ by pheromones bearing specific olfactory messages.
In this case of semi-passive diffusion means, the means of forming a flow of air with the means of stocking an odour-bearing liquid, gel or solid in a cartridge will be associated to offer a large surface for evaporation. In this case, the device will advantageously be operated in the immediate surroundings of the user, for instance at between 1 and 2 meters. If a fog is diffused, as in the case of evaporation, the goal is still the same, obtaining odour peaks.
For instance, the device could be associated with a physiological parameter sensor such as a noise detector triggered by snoring with the device programmed to control means of odour diffusion so as to cause the emission of the odour-bearing product(s) in response to detected snoring so as to eliminate the snoring by the inhalation of this odour-bearing product, itself formulated in such a way that it works on the breathing organs of the snoring person.
In another example, the device could also be associated with a physiological parameter sensor consisting of a drowsiness state detector, with this device programmed to control means of odour diffusion and provoke the transmission of products according to the detected physiological state. As an example, the physiological parameter sensor could include at least one of the following:
a respiration detector, and
an electric characteristic detector on the user""s organism, for instance, electrical activity or resistivity detected by electrodes, for instance in terms of cerebral activity.
In the various configurations of the aforementioned device, the diffusion programming means to generate an odour peak may also include time counting means capable of controlling the activation and/or evolution of an odour diffusion program according to one or several time-related parameters.
In one particular application of the invention, the means of programming the diffusion of odour peaks could be programmed to begin, at a programmed time, a diffusion cycle of drops that could cause awakening.
Odour diffusion programming means could also be programmed to begin at a programmed time, or in response to an input into one of the interfaces, an odour peak diffusion cycle which could assist with drowsiness.
In several advantageous modes of this invention, the odour peak diffusion programming means could include audio output means to generate the emission of sounds to accompany an odour peak diffusion program.
For many applications, at least one of the various tanks containing the diffusion means would be provided with a liquid (or gel or solid) of the odour-bearing type specific to the tank, for instance an essential oil. However, other products could be considered: active principles, sanitary products, etc.
In a given embodiment, the device could be prepared to solicit awakening from a comatose state in a patient, with at least one of the tanks containing the odour-bearing liquid chosen to emit an odour related to the physiological or affective activity of the patient (relation with parents, spouse, loved ones).
At least one of these liquids may contain pheromones related to the filiation or environment of the patient.